On March 3-4, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko was in Berlin on a working visit, during which, together with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Oleksii Makeiev, he held a number of important meetings in the German Bundestag, the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Federal Ministry of Defense.
At the German Federal Foreign Office, the Ukrainian diplomat held separate meetings with the State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Géza Andreas von Geyr and the Minister of State of the German Federal Foreign Office Florian Hahn. During the negotiations, the German side confirmed its readiness to continue providing Ukraine with comprehensive support in its fight against Russian aggression, in particular in the military sphere, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace for our country. Separately, the parties emphasized the unwavering position of Germany in supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The parties also discussed in detail further joint steps to develop military-technical cooperation between the states. In particular, the discussion focused on expanding cooperation between leading Ukrainian and German Defense-industrial companies, as well as strengthening the capabilities of Ukrainian enterprises in the production of long-range weapons to destroy military facilities of the aggressor state – the Russian Federation, which are located deep in its territory. Considerable attention was also paid to the issues of strengthening sanctions pressure in order to limit Russia’s ability to finance an aggressive war against Ukraine.
In turn, the Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to the German side for providing Ukraine with military, energy, humanitarian and other assistance with regard to the ongoing Russian aggression. Olexandr Mischenko emphasized that Germany is today one of the largest donors and key partners of Ukraine in countering the aggressor and supporting the stability of the state in the context of constant Russian shelling of the country’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
During his visit to the Bundestag, Olexandr Mischenko held a brief meeting with the Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during which he conveyed the words of gratitude and congratulations of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, for the consistent and active support of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The Ukrainian diplomat also informed the Foreign Minister about the results of the meetings that had previously taken place at the German Federal Foreign Office.
Additionally, in the German Parliament, a representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry met with the Chair of the German Bundestag’s Defense Committee Thomas Röwekamp. During the negotiations, the parties discussed further mechanisms for ensuring the financing of military assistance to Ukraine from Germany, in particular, support for the production of Ukrainian long-range weapons, as well as the intensification of parliamentary diplomacy to increase international pressure on the aggressor state.
At the German Federal Ministry of Defense, Olexandr Mischenko held a meeting with the Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Defense Nils Schmid. The parties discussed thoroughly the issue of strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine with specific types of weapons, as well as further steps to develop military-technical cooperation between the countries. The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to the German side for the direct military assistance provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as for support within the framework of the PURL initiative.
At the end of the visit, Olexandr Mischenko, together with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Oleksii Makeiev, held a meeting with representatives of the volunteer organization “Ukraine-Hilfe Berlin” — Tetiana Sell and Victoria Becker — at the premises of the Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the assistance of the said organization to Ukraine has reached 10 million euros. In particular, 5 fire engines, 17 ambulances, buses, pickup trucks, evacuation vehicles, generators and other necessary equipment were transferred.
On behalf of the International Charitable Foundation “Ukrainian Family” (founder – Halyna Symkha), the Deputy Minister presented the “Thank you from the heart” award to Tetiana Sell and Victoria Becker, and also presented such an award to German citizen Christian von Devitz, a volunteer who personally delivered 17 vehicles to the front-line regions of Ukraine and took on the costs of their transportation.